Incorporating shaving aid elements on a razor cartridge

ABSTRACT

As provided in the present invention, a shaving aid element includes a novel shaving aid holder having one or more “undercut elements” incorporated on its upper surface. These undercut elements provide an interlocking mechanism to retain a shaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder. The interlocking mechanism of the undercut element comprises an interlock area of the shaving aid portion and an interlock area of the shaving aid holder. The undercut elements include one or more protrusions or cavities, in the upper surface of the shaving aid holder, and may be curved hook-like structures or mushroom shaped structures, straight-line structures, or angled structures, in any combination. The shaving aid portion, as not being disposed on a lower surface of the shaving aid holder, provides utility for disposing at least one aesthetic element (e.g., indicia), at least one functional element (e.g., exfoliation) or any combination thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to razor blades, and more particularly to razorblade cartridge formation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern shaving systems incorporate soap elements in the design of theshaving cartridge, oftentimes referred to as a 2-in-1 type razorcartridge since there is no initial lathering step (e.g., no need forshave gel/cream, soap, or body wash). Examples of 2-in-1 razorcartridges are readily found in the marketplace in female razor systems,for instance, the Gillette® Venus® Breeze™ razor or the Schick®Intuition® and Intuition Plus® razor products.

In the case of the Schick Intuition razor cartridge, there is a soapring disposed around the periphery of the cartridge. In the case of theGillette Venus Breeze razor cartridge, there are two shaving aidelements, generally comprising a shaving aid holder having a shaving aidmaterial or composition (e.g., a shaving aid portion) disposed thereon,the latter for instance being in the form of gel bars or soap elements.These shaving aid portions are formed by over-molding onto shaving aidholders, the latter oftentimes referred to as “wings.” The attachment ofthe shaving aid portion to each wing is typically accomplished byembedding the wing within the bulk of soap.

Such wing type cartridges, for instance, are described in detail in U.S.Pat. No. 7,703,361, entitled Shaving Razors and Cartridges, assigned tothe Assignee hereof. Referring to FIGS. 1, 1A, 2, 2A, and 3A-3C, a priorart razor cartridge 10 on handle 11 is shown having shaving aid portions12 a and 12 b which are carried on a pair of wings 14 a and 14 b (shownin FIGS. 3A-3C). There, the wings 14 a, 14 b themselves may be formed ofthe same plastic as the razor cartridge frame 15 such as a moldedplastic, or may be formed of a different material. For instance, thewings may be formed of the same material as hinges 16 a, 16 b that jointhe wings and frame in which case the wings and hinges may beover-molded onto the frame in a single molding step.

These wings in the shaving aid holder generally necessarily include aplurality of apertures 17 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C used for allowingthe shaving aid composition to flow through the thickness of the wingand to form a mechanical interlock (e.g., by flowing together to form aunitary mass) on the back side of the wing, so as to secure the shavingaid portion to the wing. In this manner, shaving aid composition isdisposed on both sides of the wing as shown in FIG. 2A.

With shaving aid portion on the back side of the wing, a majordisadvantage of cartridges as arranged in the prior art is that anyamount of the shaving aid material or composition on the back side ofthe wing may likely be wasted. This is because the portion of theshaving aid portions 12 a and 12 b found on the back side of thecartridge, opposite the skin, necessarily deployed on the back side ofthe wings 14 a and 14 b to secure the portions 12 a and 12 b to thewings as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, is generally never used. Where shavingaid material is a costly component of this type of razor cartridge, thismay generally not be desirable.

Furthermore, these structures (for the “wings” or other plasticmechanisms) used for shaving aid holders often do not provide adequateclasping mechanisms for holding the shaving aid composition in place inrepeated wet shaving environments and many times the shaving aidcomposition is let go from the holder or falls off while theeffectiveness of the cartridge is still viable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a razor cartridge including a shaving aid holderwith one or more undercut elements. In one aspect, the one or moreundercut elements are incorporated onto an upper surface of the shavingaid holder. The one or more undercut elements further include one ormore protrusions protruding from the upper surface of said shaving aidholder, one or more cavities recessed in the upper surface of theshaving aid holder, or any combination thereof. In another aspect of thepresent invention, the one or more undercut elements further comprise acurved hook-like structure or mushroom shape structure, a straight-linestructure, an angled structure, or any combination thereof. The razorcartridge further includes at least one shaving aid portion disposedonto an upper surface of the at least one shaving aid holder coveringthe one or more undercut elements.

In a main aspect of the present invention, the one or more undercutelements provide an interlocking mechanism for retaining the at leastone shaving aid portion to the at least one shaving aid holder, whereinthe interlocking mechanism further includes an interlock area of theshaving aid portion and an interlock area of the shaving aid holder. Theone or more undercut elements are rigid, flexible, semi-rigid, or anycombination thereof and are comprised of plastic, metal, a composite, orany combination thereof. At least one of the undercut elements has acurved upper surface, which desirably curves towards an upper surface ofsaid shaving aid holder.

The one or more undercut elements have a height or depth ranging fromabout 0.2 mm to about 2.5 mm. The at least one shaving aid portion maybe comprised of poured, pressed, or extruded soap, gel, lubricant,moisturizer, or any combination thereof where the shaving aid holder iscomprised of a polymeric material, an elastomeric material, or anycombination thereof. Also the shaving aid holder may be formed as awing, a ring, a part of a frame or housing, cap, guard, clip, or mountstructure coupled to the razor cartridge, or any combination thereof.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the at least one shavingaid holder has no apertures. In another aspect, the at least one shavingaid holder has one or more apertures.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the shaving aid portion isnot disposed on a lower surface of the shaving aid holder. Furthermore,at least one aesthetic element, at least one functional element, or anycombination thereof may be disposed on the lower surface of the at leastone shaving aid holder. The at least one aesthetic element furtherincludes indicia, marking, design, graphic, text, or any combinationthereof. The at least one functional element further includesexfoliation, skin conditioning, moisturization elements, or anycombination thereof.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one shaving aidholder has one or more undercut elements incorporated onto an uppersurface of the at least one shaving aid holder and at least one shavingaid portion is disposed on the upper surface of the at least one shavingaid holder covering the one or more undercut elements. In a main aspectof the present invention, one or more undercut elements provide aninterlocking mechanism for retaining the at least one shaving aidportion to the at least one shaving aid holder. The interlockingmechanism includes an interlock area of the at least one shaving aidportion and an interlock area of the at least one shaving aid holder.

In a method of manufacturing a razor cartridge, steps includeincorporating one or more undercut elements onto an upper surface of atleast one shaving aid holder and injecting at least one shaving aidportion onto the upper surface of at least one shaving aid holdercovering the one or more undercut elements. In one aspect of the presentinvention, the at least one shaving aid portion is fluid, liquid,semi-solid, or any combination thereof and is injected through a gate inthe at least one shaving aid holder. The gate may be self-closing or notobservable to a consumer.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materialssimilar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in thepractice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods andmaterials are described below. All publications, patent applications,patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated byreference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the presentspecification, including definitions, will control. In addition, thematerials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intendedto be limiting.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as formingthe present invention, it is believed that the invention will be betterunderstood from the following description which is taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which like designations are used todesignate substantially identical elements, and in which:

FIGS. 1 and 1A are a perspective view of a prior art razor cartridgehaving two shaving aid portions.

FIGS. 2 and 2A are a side view of the shaving aid portion(s) of FIGS. 1and 1A.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a shaving aid holder of FIG. 2 without theshaving aid portions disposed thereon, showing two shaving aid holdersor wings.

FIGS. 3B and 3C are perspective and top views, respectively, of a priorart embodiment of a shaving aid holder having apertures.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 depict two types of undercut elements in accordancewith the present invention.

FIGS. 6, 6A, and 6B depict a side view and exploded views of a shavingaid element having a shaving aid portion and a shaving aid holder inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 7, 7A, and 7B depict a side view and exploded views of a shavingaid element having a shaving aid portion and a shaving aid holder inaccordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A to 8E depict cross-sectional views of various embodiments ofundercut elements incorporated on the shaving aid holder of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 9A to 9C depict cross-sectional views of various alternateembodiments of undercut elements incorporated on the shaving aid holderof the present invention.

FIGS. 10A to 10I depict cross-sectional views of still furtherembodiments of undercut elements incorporated on the shaving aid holderof the present invention.

FIGS. 11A to 11D depict cross-sectional views of yet still furthervarious embodiments of undercut elements incorporated on the shaving aidholder of the present invention.

FIGS. 12A to 12C depict perspective views of shaving aid holders inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 13A to 13C depict still further alternate embodiments of shavingaid elements of the present invention.

FIGS. 14 and 15 depict a method of forming a shaving aid element havinga shaving aid portion incorporated with a shaving aid holder inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 16 depicts a cross-sectional side view of a still furtherembodiment of the shaving aid element of the present invention.

FIG. 17 depicts a perspective view of shaving aid holders havingaesthetic elements incorporated thereon in a still further alternateembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 depicts a back view of razor system showing a shaving aid holderhaving functional elements incorporated thereon in a still furtheralternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 depicts a top view of a razor cartridge having a shaving aidelement where the shaving aid holder is part of a razor cartridgecomponent in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention discloses a novel apparatus and method of forming one ormore shaving aid elements in a razor cartridge having one or moreshaving aid portions disposed on at least one shaving aid holder withincorporated undercut elements.

The following defined terms are germane to the present invention andwill be described in more detail with regard to the figures below.

In the present invention, the term “shaving aid element” signifies ashaving aid holder coupled with a shaving aid portion. A “shaving aidholder” refers to any apparatus for holding one or more shaving aidportions. Oftentimes, the shaving aid holder is referred to as a wing ora ring, for holding a shaving aid portion which generally extends fromthe razor cartridge. Shaving aid holders may generally be comprised of apolymeric material, such as polypropylene. Thus they may be comprised ofhard or rigid plastic, but may also be made of elastomeric material. Forinstance, in some embodiments, the elastomeric portions may also beprovided at the corners of the shaving aid holder (e.g., wings),underlying the shaving aid portions, so that as the shaving aid portionsare exhausted, the user's skin will contact elastomer rather than hardplastic. Preferably, any elastomeric content of the shaving aid holderis relatively soft for user comfort but with sufficient chemicalresistance so that it will not degrade during prolonged contact with theingredients of the shaving aid portion. The shaving aid holder of thepresent invention may be relatively straight or have some curvature, thelatter allowing the holders to carry a relatively large amount ofshaving aid portion or soap, without the upper surface of the shavingaid portion extending too far above the plane of the blade edges or thelowest area of the shaving aid portion being too low to ever contact theskin during use.

In addition to being a wing or ring, the shaving aid holder of thepresent invention may also be formed as part of any component orstructure of the cartridge. For instance, the shaving aid holder may beformed as a part of the plastic frame or housing, cap, guard, clip, or apart of the plastic mount coupled with the blade unit.

The upper surface of the shaving aid holder may be smooth, textured,rough, or any combination thereof.

The term “shaving aid portion”, also germane to the present invention,is intended to include any formulation, material or composition (theselatter terms may be used interchangeably). In some instances, the one ormore shaving aid portions may generally include gel or soap, e.g.,poured, pressed, or extruded soap, or any other feasible materials.Shaving aid portions of the present invention may generally includeshave preparation ingredients such as lubricants, or skin soothing andconditioning ingredients such as emollients and moisturizers. Thesecompositions may be modified to increase their hardness, wearresistance, lubricity and/or skin moisturizing and conditioningproperties. The present invention contemplates any feasible desiredformulation may be used to provide these skin care/skin improvementand/or enhanced shaving benefits.

Preferably, as with the prior art, the one or more shaving aid portionshave sufficient wear resistance so that the one or more shaving aidportions last for the intended life of the cartridge. However, a shavingaid holder may be of a type which may be removable and replaceable bythe consumer where for instance, the one or more shaving aid portionsmay be exhausted before it is necessary to replace the cartridge.

A novel aspect of the shaving aid holder of the present invention isthat it desirably includes one or more “undercut elements”. The undercutelements provide a mechanical fastening or interlocking mechanism thatretains the shaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder. In thepresent invention, the undercut elements are incorporated onto an uppersurface of the shaving aid holder.

The term “undercut” or “undercut element” as used in the presentinvention, signifies a feature having a shape, which when utilized inthe practice of molding a part (e.g., injection molding a plastic part),results in some interference with the mold (e.g., shape of part will notallow it to readily separate or fall free); for instance, upon theopening or removal of the mold after formation of the part. The undercutelement is generally formed of the same material as the shaving aidholder but generally may be formed of plastic, metal, a composite of anymaterials (e.g., plastic with metal, wood with plastic), or anycombination thereof. In some instances, the present inventioncontemplates that a composite may desirably offer additionalreinforcement for an undercut element.

The one or more undercut elements of the present invention may comprisea curved hook-like structure or mushroom shape structure, astraight-line structure, an angled structure, or any combinationthereof.

To form such a feature on a part with an injection molding tool, thetool may generally have to reach under a portion of the element itself.As the molding tool opens in the vertical direction, the part beingmolded will not be able to freely separate as that undercut portion ofthe molding tool will prevent this motion.

Generally, such undercut elements are formed with the aid of “pulls”which typically signify elements of the mold that can be inserted andthen pulled out of the way, allowing the undercut element to eject fromthe mold. Other methods include applying force to pry the part (e.g.,the shaving aid holder formed with undercut elements) out of the mold.This necessitates the undercut feature (e.g., hook-like structure) tostraighten out and flex its way out of the mold. Typically, allrubber-like or other plastic materials will permit flexing but whenusing more rigid materials such as polypropylene, it may be beneficialto decrease rupturing while removing the part when it is still warm andpliable in the mold.

Desirably, in the present invention, the undercut elements may range inheight (or depth if recessed) from about 0.2 mm to about 2.5 mm and moredesirably from about 0.4 mm to about 1.6 mm. Generally, the undercutelements of the present invention comprise aptly shaped structures thatdesirably form the undercut areas or “interlock areas” which provideinterference with the mold as described above. One interlock area isprovided by the shaving aid portion (“interlock area of the shaving aidportion”) and the other is the interlock area provided by the shavingaid holder (“interlock area of the shaving aid holder”). When placedtogether, these two interlock areas provide a mechanical interlock ofthe shaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder.

For instance, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, two exemplary undercut elementtypes are depicted in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 4,for simplicity, one undercut element 42 is shown having a hook-like,curved structure which characterizes the interlock area 42 a of theshaving aid holder desirably formed of the same material as the shavingaid holder. The interlock area of the shaving aid holder 42 a desirablyis juxtaposed with an interlock area 45 of the shaving aid portion. Theinterlock area 45 of the shaving aid portion is desirably formed of thesame material as the shaving aid portion. For instance, after pouring,shaving aid portion (e.g., in liquid form initially) may desirably fillthe interlock area 45 and later solidify as the shaving aid portionchanges from a liquid state to a solid state. It should be noted thatthe undercut element 42 of the present invention is not limited to theshape shown in FIG. 4 (or the shape of undercut element 52 shown in FIG.5), but may be any desired and feasible shape, many of which will beshown and described in more detail below.

Undercut element 42 is desirably incorporated onto an outer surface 43of a substrate 44 such as a plastic substrate. In one embodiment,undercut element 42 desirably protrudes from an outer surface 43 ofsubstrate 44, such as a shaving aid holder.

Thus, in a razor cartridge, one or more undercut elements 42 maydesirably be incorporated on an outer surface 43 of a shaving aid holder44, as protrusions, protruding therefrom. Additionally, a shaving aidportion 46 may also desirably be disposed on a portion of the outersurface 43 of the shaving aid holder 44 as shown in FIG. 4 substantiallycovering undercut elements 42. Shaving aid portion 46 may generallyinitially be in a fluid, liquid, or semi-solid state, subsequentlybecoming solid or hardened. As the shaving aid portion 46 is formed ontothe holder 44 it may desirably be poured or injected into the shavingaid holder 44 and before portion 46 solidifies or becomes hard, theshaving aid portion will flow into, over and around undercut element 42and will thus flow and fill in the interlock area 45 of the shaving aidportion (e.g., under the hook-like structure of the interlock area 42 aof the shaving aid holder). Once the shaving aid portion has hardened,one or more undercut elements 42 serve to lock the shaving aid portion46 onto the shaving aid holder 44, providing a mechanical interlock suchthat the shaving aid portion 46 is retained and does not easily detachfrom shaving aid holder 44. In this instance, the hook-like structure ofthe interlock area 42 a of the shaving aid holder of undercut element 42may desirably be molded or formed from a portion of the shaving aidholder (e.g., plastic) whereas the interlock area 45 it provides isgenerally filled with a portion of the shaving aid portion 46.

In a similar, but alternate embodiment of the present invention shown inFIG. 5, a substrate 54 is shown having an upper surface 53 in which anexemplary undercut element 52 is disposed as a cavity, void, or recessin the upper surface of the shaving aid holder 54 defined by a hook-likeor curved shaped structure (e.g., initially hollow), namely theinterlock area of the shaving aid holder, or interlock area 52 a,forming an interlock area of shaving aid portion 55. The interlock area52 a of undercut element 52 may desirably be provided via the shavingaid holder 54 in that it is molded or formed from a portion of theshaving aid holder 54 (e.g., plastic) and the hook-like interlock area55 of undercut element 52 may generally be filled with a portion of theshaving aid portion 56 which later may desirably solidify. In a razorcartridge, undercut element 52, having an interlock area 52 a of theshaving aid holder and an interlock area 55 of the shaving aid portionfilled with shaving aid portion 56, provides the interlocking mechanismfor the shaving aid portion with the shaving aid holder.

It can be seen that the same interlocking affect occurs in thisembodiment as in the embodiment of FIG. 4, in that the undercut element52's interlock areas provide an interlocking mechanism to retain theshaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder.

Thus, there is no necessity in the present invention for over-moldingthe shaving aid portion as in prior art designs described above whereencompassing the outer lower side (or the opposite side) of the shavingaid holder with the shaving aid portion itself to retain the shaving aidportion to the shaving aid holder was generally obligatory.

There is also therefore no requirement or necessity for glues or otheradhesives to retain the shaving aid portion to the wings or within theshaving aid holder. While generally not necessary, the present inventiondoes contemplate coating or other surface modifications includingtexturizing, notching or roughening of the outer surface of the shavingaid holder and/or of the outer surface of the undercut element (notshown) which may provide additional adhesion.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in accordance with the present invention, aside view of a shaving aid element 60 having a shaving aid holder 64comprised of two wings 62 a and 62 b is shown. The shaving aid holder 64may be hinged to the two wings (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6 via hinges 64 aand 64 b). A shaving aid portion 66 a and 66 b is disposed on each oneof outer and upper surfaces 63 a and 63 b of each of the wings 62 a and62 b, forming top and bottom shaving aid elements 67 a and 67 b,respectively.

For illustrative purposes, one wing 62 b is shown in an exploded view inFIG. 6A where outer surfaces 63 a and 63 b are depicted as incorporatingnumerous undercut elements 68 b which are protrusions that protrude outfrom outer surfaces 63 a and 63 b, and are disposed within the shavingaid portion 66 b. As depicted in FIG. 6A and as described above withregard to FIG. 4, the undercut elements 68 b or protrusions may eachdesirably include hook-like or curved structures 69. The interlock area65 (shown in exploded view in FIG. 6B) of the shaving aid portion 66 bformed under the hook-like structure or interlock area 69 of the shavingaid holder may generally be filled with shaving aid portion 66 b whichmay initially be in a liquefied form thus adequately able to flow intothe interlock area 65 (e.g., or undercut area) and later solidify.

There is desirably no shaving aid portion 66 a or 66 b disposed on theouter lower surfaces 63 a′ and 63 b′ of the wings 62 a and 62 b.

It should be noted that the shaving aid portion and the wings portion ofthe shaving aid holder are held together via the interlocking mechanismprovided by interlock areas 65 and 69 of undercut elements 68 b.

As above with FIGS. 4 and 5, there is no necessity in FIG. 6 forover-molding the shaving aid portion as in prior art designs describedabove where encompassing the outer lower side (or the opposite side) ofthe shaving aid holder with the shaving aid portion itself to retain theshaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder was generally obligatory.

By being disposed on the outer upper surfaces 63 a and 63 b of the wings62 a and 62 b, a 2-in-1 razor is still provided requiring no additionalshaving aid to properly shave as the shaving aid portions are aptlydisposed where needed so as to contact a user's skin and release theappropriate lubriciousness, and moisturization and other ingredientswhile shaving.

Furthermore, since the shaving aid portions of the present invention, asshown in FIGS. 6, 6A, and 6B for instance, are not desirably disposed onthe outer lower surface 63 a′ or 63 b′ of the shaving aid holder 64 (orwings 62 a and 62 b). This in turn, allows for a considerable reductionin shaving aid material required per razor cartridge. In general terms,and in particular over the prior art, by not having shaving aid portionsbelow the soap wings (or on the outer lower surface), about half theshaving aid material is conserved. By reducing the amount andconsumption of shaving aid material used per razor, the cost per razormay also significantly be reduced where shaving aid materials, such assoap, may commonly be high-priced materials.

In addition, many other advantages of having such a “one-sided” shavingaid portion on a razor cartridge shaving aid holder are manifested inthe present invention. For one, quality control issues are generallyreduced by about half, with half the amount of shaving aid portionpresent in the razor cartridge. Further, with less surface area toinspect, it is generally less likely that a surface defect will bepresent, requiring scrapping of a finished cartridge. Likewise, the needto inspect two sides of the shaving aid portion is eliminated,simplifying the quality control.

In addition, the razor product may desirably appear to be slimmer orsleeker as the bulk of the shaving aid has been removed.

In general, the shaving aid holder 64 may be as specifically shown inFIG. 6, inclusive of a central plastic area 64 where the blade unit isdesirably disposed extending to areas provided by the wings 62 a and 62b. However, it should be noted that the shaving aid holder of thepresent invention may desirably extend to other embodiments, as will bedescribed below, including those where the shaving aid holder isrepresented by one wing, two wings, a soap ring (e.g., a peripheral areasurrounding a blade unit area), and/or a blade unit area in combinationwith one or two wings.

Referring now to FIGS. 7, 7A, and 7B, an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention is depicted where a side view of a shaving aid element70 having a shaving aid holder 74 comprised of two portions or wings 72a and 72 b is shown. A shaving aid portion 76 a and 76 b is disposed oneach one of outer and upper surfaces 73 a and 73 b, respectively, ofeach of the wings 72 a and 72 b, forming top and bottom shaving aidelements 77 a and 77 b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 7.

For illustrative purposes, a portion of bottom shaving aid element 77 bis shown in an exploded view in FIG. 7A where outer surfaces 73 a and 73b are depicted as incorporating numerous undercut elements 78 b which,in contrast to FIGS. 6, 6A, and 6 b, do not protrude out from outersurfaces 73 a and 73 b, but rather are formed within or internal to theshaving aid holder wings themselves. The shaving aid portion 76 b whichinitially may be in a liquefied form thus adequately flows into thecavity or recessed type undercut elements 78 b and solidifies therein.

As depicted in FIG. 7A and as described above with regard to FIG. 5, theundercut elements 78 b may each desirably include hook-like or curvedstructures or interlock area 79 of the shaving aid portion. The undercutor interlock area 75 (shown in exploded view in FIG. 7B) formed underthe hook-like structure interlock area 79 is generally comprised of apolymeric material in that it is generally formed of the same materialused for the shaving aid holder or wings in this case.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A to 8E, cross-sectional side views of variousshaving aid holders, each having at least one undercut elementprotruding therefrom, are shown in accordance with the presentinvention. To illustrate the novelty of the present invention theshaving aid holders are depicted without the shaving aid portiondisposed thereon. The shaving aid holders shown in FIGS. 8A to 8E may bein the form of wings as described above in conjunction with above FIGS.6-7, oval or round shaped, or any other shape or structure feasiblydesired. The shaving aid holders shown in FIGS. 8A to 8E may desirablybe incorporated into razor cartridges disposed in any arrangement aroundthe periphery of the cartridge or as wings and coupled with any razorhandle, such as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1A, forming a razor which can beused to shave.

FIG. 8A depicts a novel shaving aid holder 80 having undercut elements82 with hook-like structures 82 a incorporated onto an outer uppersurface 83 of shaving aid holder 80. Curved, smooth, or contour surfaces82 b may also be desirably present in the novel shaving aid holders ofthe present invention in that, in case the shaving aid portion disposedon the shaving holder wears away completely, or substantiallycompletely, the user does not feel anything sharp or uncomfortable ontheir skin. The hook like structure 82 a or curved surface 82 bgenerally curve toward the upper surface 83 of shaving aid holder 80.Undercut elements with hook-like structures 82 a and curved surfaces 82b are desirably disposed throughout the outer upper surface of theshaving aid holder. As can be seen in FIGS. 8B through 8E, any patternand type of undercut elements are contemplated in the present invention.In FIG. 8E for instance, it is also noted that the outer lower surface83′ of the shaving aid holder 80 is not a smooth or straight surface butrather may itself molded with indentations, cavities, hook-likestructures, or depressions which, as depicted, may also be of similarform as the shape of the undercut elements 82.

Referring to FIGS. 9A-9C, shown are cross-sectional side views ofalternate embodiments of novel shaving aid holders 90 having undercutelements 92 with both hook-like structures 92 a and smooth contours 92 b(and undercut element 96 having both hook-like structures 96 a andsmooth contours 96 b) incorporated onto an outer upper surface 93 ofshaving aid holder 90 in accordance with the present invention. Incontrast to those shown in FIGS. 8A to 8E, the undercut elements 92 inFIGS. 9A to 9C (with the exception of undercut element 96 in FIG. 9B) donot protrude from outer upper surface 93 of shaving aid holder 90, butare formed within or internal to the shaving aid holder 90 as similarlydescribed above in conjunction with FIGS. 7 to 7B. FIG. 9B depicts acombination of both types of undercut elements, depicting protrudingundercut elements 96 and undercut elements 92 incorporated internal tothe shaving aid holder; a combination of types of undercut elements isalso contemplated in the present invention. It is also noted that manyof the undercut elements 92 of FIGS. 9A to 9C have mostly smooth, curvedor rounded contours 92 a, whereas internal undercut elements 92 of FIG.9C for instance includes hook-like structures 92 a in addition to asmooth, or contoured surface 92 b. Similarly, protruding undercutelements 96 in FIG. 9B also desirably includes hook-like structures 96 awhile also having a smooth or contoured surface 96 b.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A to 10I, cross-sectional side views of shavingaid holders within the scope of further alternate embodiments of thepresent invention are depicted: In FIG. 10A, one undercut element 1020having hook-like structure 1020 a and smooth contour 1020 b, may bedesirably disposed in at least a portion of a peripheral area 1025 ofshaving aid holder 1010 a as shown in FIG. 10A; as shown in embodimentsof FIGS. 10B and 10C, one undercut element 1020 may desirably bedisposed in at least a portion of peripheral area 1025 of shaving aidholders 1010 b and 1010 c and one additional undercut element 1030 maydesirably be disposed in an upper surface of the internal base 1026 ofthe shaving aid holders 1010 b and 1010 c; in FIG. 10D, anotherembodiment depicts one undercut element 1020 desirably disposed in atleast a portion of a peripheral area 1025 of shaving aid holders 1010 dand two or more undercut elements 1040 are disposed in an upper surfaceof the internal base 1026 area of the shaving aid holder 1010 d; inFIGS. 10E and 10F undercut elements 1050 and 1060, respectively, aredisposed only in the internal base area 1026 of the shaving aid holders1010 e and 1010 f (with no undercut elements in the peripheral area ofthe shaving aid holders).

The undercut elements of FIGS. 10A to 10I are depicted as being ofvarying types, some with one or more hook-like structures and/or one ormore curved contours. One advantage of having the undercut elements asdepicted in FIGS. 10B to 10F on the internal base area 1026 of theshaving aid holders is to provide increased mechanical interlocking andimproved retaining of the shaving aid portion with the shaving aidholder.

In FIGS. 10G to 10I, the undercut elements 1080 of shaving aid holders1010 g, 1010 h, and 1010 i each having shaving aid portions 1070 do notnecessarily have to be at the same heights in accordance with thepresent invention. As shown in FIG. 10G, the heights of the undercutelements 1080 may decrease and then increase (as shown, left to right),or as shown in FIG. 10H, the undercut elements 1080 may decrease fromleft to right or as shown in FIG. 10I, the heights of the undercutelements 1080 may increase from left to right which may desirably allowfor a shaving aid portion 1070 to be disposed in the same manner (e.g.,forming an angle).

In FIGS. 11A and 11B, still further embodiments of the present inventionare shown where undercut elements 1120 and 1130 are provided on shavingaid holders 1110 a and 1110 b, (not shown in their entirety)respectively, where undercut elements 1120 are protruding from shavingaid holder 1110 a and undercut elements 1130 are internal to the shavingaid holder 1110 b. Additionally, as depicted, the undercut element 1120has no “hook-like structure” but rather a squared off shape orstraight-line structure 1120 a and a flat smooth upper surface 1120 brather than a curved contoured one. In this way, the mechanicalinterlocking of the shaving aid holder and the shaving aid portion (notshown) is still provided as there is still an undercut or interlock area1125 which desirably may be filled with shaving aid portion (not shown)disposed in an area beneath the undercut element 1120, as similarlydescribed in conjunction with FIG. 4 above. In the case of FIG. 11B, asdescribed with FIG. 5, there is an interlock area 1135 formed as part ofthe shaving aid holder 1110 b.

In FIGS. 11C and 11D, still further embodiments of the present inventionare shown where undercut elements 1140 and 1150 are provided on shavingaid holders 1110 c and 1110 d, respectively, where undercut elements1140 are protruding from shaving aid holder 1110 c and undercut elements1150 are internal to the shaving aid holder 1110 d. Additionally, asdepicted, the undercut elements 1140 and 1150 have a “mushroom” shaperather than a “hook-like structure” or a squared off shape orstraight-line structure.

FIGS. 12A through 12C depict various embodiments of shaving aid holdersin accordance with the present invention (each shown without shaving aidportion). The shaving aid holders contemplated by the present inventionmay generally take any shape and be coupled to the razor cartridge inany manner. For instance, the shaving aid holder may include one pieceor one wing, two wings or more, or a ring around the periphery of therazor cartridge.

A perspective view of an embodiment of shaving aid holder 1210 a of thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 12A where one undercut element 1220 ais disposed substantially around the entire peripheral area 1225, thelatter having intermittent gaps 1230 a. This shaving aid holder may besimilar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10A which depicts shaving aidholder 1010 a.

Shaving aid holder 1210 a shown in FIG. 12A may desirably representeither the only shaving aid holder coupled to the razor cartridge (e.g.,one wing) or it may be coupled with a razor cartridge having two suchshaving aid holders (e.g., two wings), or any other feasiblearrangement.

A perspective view of a shaving aid holder 1210 b of the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 12B having three undercut elements atsubstantially the same height, one undercut element 1220 b beingdisposed around the peripheral area 1225, and two similar undercutelements 1221 b being desirably disposed in the upper surface 1226 ofthe internal base 1227 of the shaving aid holder. This shaving aidholder 1210 b may be likened to, though not identical, shaving aidholder 1010 c shown in FIG. 10C.

As with FIG. 12A, the shaving aid holder 1210 b may desirably representthe only shaving aid holder in a razor cartridge (e.g., one wing) or arazor cartridge may be coupled to two such shaving aid holders (e.g.,two wings), or any other feasible arrangement.

A perspective view of still yet another embodiment of a shaving aidholder 1210 c is shown in FIG. 12C, where an undercut element 1220 c(similar to the type described in FIG. 11A) is disposed in an uppersurface 1226 of internal base 1227 of a shaving aid holder 1210 c havingsubstantially the same height as the height of peripheral area 1225 ofthe shaving aid holder 1210 c. Though shown with undercut element 1221c, peripheral area 1225 may or may not have an undercut element disposedthereon.

Referring now to FIG. 13A, a cross-sectional side view of anotherembodiment of a shaving aid element 1300 a of the present inventionhaving a shaving aid holder 1310 a and shaving aid portion 1340 a wherethe shaving aid holder 1310 a desirably has a convex shape. Undercutelements 1320 a protrude from an upper surface 1330 a of the shaving aidholder 1310 a and a shaving aid portion 1340 a is disposed thereon.Undercut elements 1320 a desirably include interlock areas of theshaving aid holder 1315 a having a hook-like shape and interlock areasof the shaving aid portion 1316 a, as shown. Interlock areas of theshaving aid holder and shaving aid portion 1315 a and 1316 a,respectively, desirably provide an interlocking mechanism for retainingshaving aid holder and shaving aid portion together.

In FIG. 13B, a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of ashaving aid element 1300 b of the present invention having a shaving aidholder 1310 b and shaving aid portion 1340 b where the shaving aidholder 1310 b desirably has a concave shape. Undercut elements 1320 bprotrude from an upper surface 1330 b of the shaving aid holder 1310 band a shaving aid portion 1340 b is disposed thereon. Mushroom shapedundercut elements 1320 b desirably include interlock areas of theshaving aid holder 1315 b and interlock areas of the shaving aid portion1316 b as shown. As in FIG. 13A, interlock areas of the shaving aidholder and shaving aid portion, 1315 b and 1316 b, respectively,desirably provide an interlocking mechanism for retaining shaving aidholder 1310 b and shaving aid portion 1340 b together.

In FIG. 13C, a top view of another embodiment of the present inventionis shown having a shaving aid holder 1310 c (shown without shaving aidportion disposed thereon) where the shaving aid holder 1310 c desirablyhas, thought is not limited to, an oval or circular shape and centralopening 1350 which if rectangular shaped as shown, may be utilized forplacement of the razor cartridge (e.g., as in the Schick Intuitionproducts). Undercut elements 1320 c protrude from an upper surface 1330c of the shaving aid holder 1310 c. The shaving aid portion (not shown)may desirably have the same overall shape as the shaving aid holder(e.g., oval or circular or any other feasible shape) as it is generallydisposed on top of the shaving aid holder. As before, interlock areasformed by the undercut element (e.g., of the shaving aid holder andshaving aid portion) would desirably provide an interlocking mechanismfor retaining shaving aid holder and shaving aid portion together.

In the embodiments of the present invention described thus far, and incontrast with the prior art, the shaving aid holders are not shown ordescribed as having any apertures. While the prior art used apertures inthe shaving aid holder as the mechanism in which to retain the shavingaid portion within the shaving aid holder (e.g., in order to over-mold),the present invention does not need this functionality. However, thepresent invention does contemplate the shaving aid holder may have oneor more apertures with the caveat that these apertures, if present, mayserve a different purpose than that of retaining a shaving aid portion(e.g., gate) or may desirably not be the sole mechanism for retaining orinterlocking the shaving aid portion within the shaving aid holder sinceundercut elements of the instant invention are also present to providean interlocking mechanism for retaining shaving aid holder and shavingaid portion together.

One purpose contemplated in the present invention for having one or moreapertures in the shaving aid holder may be to provide a mechanism in theprocess of supplying the shaving aid portion to the shaving aid holder.

As depicted in FIG. 14, a process is described wherein a channel 1411with an opening 1412 at the top, into which the shaving aid portion 1460(desirably in a fluid state) is submitted into and injected into anaperture or gate 1440 of the shaving aid holder 1410 having undercutelements 1420 with hook-like structures and curved surfaces into thearea of a mold. After being injected, the shaving aid portion willdesirably solidify in the mold and when the mold is subsequently removedthe shaving aid portion with the shaving aid holder are interlockedtogether. Subsequently, the channel may be removed from the aperture1540 as shown in FIG. 15 after this injection step is completed. Itshould be noted that even with the aperture present after completion andsolidification of the shaving aid portion, the aperture has served onlyas the injection point for the shaving aid portion and not as aretaining or interlocking mechanism. In particular, it should be noted,that there is desirably no shaving aid portion on the lower side of theshaving aid holder in accordance with the present invention. Moreover,if desired, the aperture may later be covered or closed with a cover orseal 1515 of any feasible type, ostensibly to hide the area of theaperture from consumer view thereby improving the appearance of thecartridge, as shown in FIG. 15.

Referring now to FIG. 16, a cross-sectional side view embodiment of ashaving aid element 1600 of the present invention is shown having ashaving aid holder 1610 with both undercut elements 1620 protruding froman upper surface 1630 of the shaving aid holder 1610 and an aperture1650 therein. Undercut elements 1620 have a hook-like shape where eachelement has interlock areas of the shaving aid holder 1615 and shavingaid portion 1616 as shown. Aperture 1650 may serve as a gate orinjection point and be left uncovered and/or may serve as an additionalmeans of retention for the shaving aid portion to the shaving aidholder. As depicted, shaving aid portion 1640 may cross over the lowersurface 1635 of the shaving aid holder 1610 such that, though notnecessary in the present invention, some additional retention for theshaving aid element may be provided.

In addition, it should be noted, the shaving aid holder 1610 may haveangled side walls 1611 tapered inward or outward toward the apertureopening 1650 at lower surface 1635 (shown tapering outward towardaperture 1650 in FIG. 16) in a manner which may also provide an addedretaining mechanism of the shaving aid portion 1640 to the shaving aidholder 1610. In this case, the aperture opening width W1 at the uppersurface 1630 of the shaving aid holder 1610 may be smaller than theaperture opening width W2. In lieu of side walls 1611, the shaving aidholder 1610 may have any shape forming the aperture in accordance withthe present invention (e.g., rounded or curvy).

The present invention as described contemplates an embodiment of ashaving aid element where there are undercut elements incorporated on anupper surface of the shaving aid holder.

The present invention also contemplates an embodiment of a shaving aidelement where there is no shaving aid portion on the lower surface ofthe shaving aid holder (which has undercut elements on its uppersurface), the shaving aid holder with or without apertures therein; butwhen apertures are desirably present, they are generally used forinjecting the shaving aid portion to form the shaving aid element andnot as a retention mechanism.

Additionally, the present invention contemplates the embodiment of ashaving aid element with mixed retention capabilities where a shavingaid holder includes undercut elements and apertures, where the aperturesmay serve as a retention mechanism, supplementing the retentionmechanism provided by the undercut elements.

In the embodiments of the present invention where there is effectivelyno shaving aid portion on the lower surface of the shaving aid holder,that lower surface, now exposed, may desirably be made available fordisposing indicia or other markings such as trademarks, designs,graphics, text, or other aesthetic elements, etc. or any combinationthereof, thereon. Referring to FIG. 17, for instance, by having outerlower surfaces 1763 a′ and 1763 b′ of shaving aid holder 1764 nowexposed (e.g., no shaving aid portion), a product designer may obtain anew freedom to utilize that one or more surfaces for markings or tradenames 1766 as shown in FIG. 17. It should be noted that any type ofgraphic or indicia or other design enhancing or useful marketing elementis contemplated in the present element for placement on outer lowersurfaces 1763 a′ or 1763 b′ of the shaving aid holder 1764.

In addition to a surface for designs or disposing markings or otheraesthetic elements, the exposed outer surface of the shaving aid holder,when essentially free of soap and desirably with few or no apertures maybe utilized to provide functional benefits for the user. These benefitsinclude, but would not be limited to, such benefits as skin engagementor conditioning, exfoliation, added ingredients (e.g., menthol, to coolthe skin, or thermal agents to heal the skin after nicks or cuts), oreven one or more razor blades. For instance, in a razor cartridgearranged with one or more shaving aid holders or wings having undercutelements as described in the present invention, it is envisioned that,with a slight turn of the hand or wrist, the user may easily flip toaccess the back side of the razor and thus, the other side of theshaving aid element. As depicted in FIG. 18, a top view of the back sideof a razor system 1800 is shown with an exfoliation member 1820 coveringthe lower outer surface of the shaving aid holder 1810 (covered by theexfoliation member 1820), usable by the consumer by turning the razor tothis opposing side.

Besides allowing for extra aesthetic or functional benefits over theprior art, other additional benefits of having a “one-sided” shaving aidelement as described herein may be that the costs for tooling andingredients for the shaving aid portion may desirably be reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 19, a shaving aid holder 1920 of the presentinvention having one or more undercut elements 1930 of mushroom shapewith a curved smooth upper surface, is shown as being formed as part ofa cap or a cap structure component of a razor cartridge 1900 (e.g., tothe rear of, and proximal to, the blades). In this way, shaving aidportion 1940 disposed on the shaving aid holder 1920 and coveringundercut elements 1930 may provide skin benefits and enhance a user'sshave as the shaving aid portion is disposed closer to the blade unit1960. Though depicted as being mushroom-shaped, the undercut elementsdisposed on a cartridge as described in FIG. 19 or elsewhere on anycomponent of a cartridge, may be of any shape feasibly contemplated inthe present invention.

Other applications of the present invention may extend to personal careproducts. For instance, many deodorant or anti perspirant productsinclude a “stick” coupled to a plastic mount. Albeit not for shaving,the stick portion of a deodorant can be likened to the shaving aidportion of the present invention and the mount to the shaving aidholder. As such, the tenets of the present invention may be easilytransferable outside of the razor cartridge area.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm”.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, inrelevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of anydocument is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior artwith respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning ordefinition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaningor definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, themeaning or definition assigned to the term in this written documentshall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A razor cartridge comprising: at least oneshaving aid holder having two or more undercut elements defining two ormore undercut areas, wherein said two or more undercut elements furthercomprise one or more protrusions protruding from an upper surface ofsaid shaving aid holder and one or more cavities recessed and extendingwithin said upper surface of said shaving aid holder towards a lowersurface, said one or more cavities having a curved contour in across-section; and at least one shaving aid portion covering said two ormore undercut elements and occupying said two or more undercut areas. 2.The cartridge of claim 1 wherein any one of said two or more undercutelements further comprise a curved hook structure, a mushroom shapestructure, a straight-line structure, an angled structure, or anycombination thereof.
 3. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said two ormore undercut elements provide an interlocking mechanism for retainingsaid at least one shaving aid portion to said at least one shaving aidholder.
 4. The cartridge of claim 3 wherein said interlocking mechanismfurther comprises an interlock area of the shaving aid portion and aninterlock area of the shaving aid holder.
 5. The cartridge of claim 1wherein any one of said one or more undercut elements are rigid,flexible, semi-rigid, or any combination thereof.
 6. The cartridge ofclaim 1 wherein any one of said one or more undercut elements arecomprised of plastic, metal, a composite, or any combination thereof. 7.The cartridge of claim 1 wherein any one of said one or more undercutelements has a curved upper surface.
 8. The cartridge of claim 7 whereinsaid curved undercut element curves towards an upper surface of saidshaving aid holder.
 9. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein any one of saidone or more undercut elements has a height or depth ranging from 0.2 mmto 2.5 mm.
 10. The cartridge of claim 5 wherein said at least oneshaving aid portion is comprised of poured, pressed, or extruded soap,gel, lubricant, moisturizer, or any combination thereof.
 11. Thecartridge of claim 1 wherein said shaving aid holder is comprised of apolymeric material, an elastomeric material, or any combination thereof.12. The cartridge of claim 11 wherein said shaving aid holder is formedas a wing, a ring, a part of a frame, cap, guard, clip, or mountstructure coupled to said razor cartridge, or any combination thereof.13. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said at least one shaving aidholder has no apertures.
 14. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said atleast one shaving aid holder has one or more apertures.
 15. Thecartridge of claim 1 wherein said shaving aid portion is not disposed ona lower surface of said shaving aid holder.
 16. The cartridge of claim15 wherein at least one aesthetic element, at least one functionalelement, or any combination thereof may be disposed on a lower surfaceof said at least one shaving aid holder.
 17. The cartridge of claim 16wherein said at least one aesthetic element further comprises indicia,marking, design, graphic, text, or any combination thereof.
 18. Thecartridge of claim 16 wherein said at least one functional elementfurther comprises exfoliation, skin conditioning, moisturizationelements, or any combination thereof.
 19. The razor cartridge of claim 1wherein said shaving aid holder is hinged to a frame of said razorcartridge.
 20. A shaving aid element comprising: at least one shavingaid holder having two or more undercut elements incorporated onto anupper surface of said at least one shaving aid holder, wherein said twoor more undercut elements define two or more undercut areas, whereinsaid one or more undercut elements further comprise one or moreprotrusions protruding from said upper surface of said shaving aidholder and one or more cavities recessed and extending within said uppersurface of said shaving aid holder towards a lower surface, said one ormore cavities having a curved contour in a cross-section; and at leastone shaving aid portion disposed on said upper surface of said at leastone shaving aid holder covering said two or more undercut elements andoccupying said two or more undercut areas.
 21. The shaving aid elementof claim 20 wherein said two or more undercut elements provide aninterlocking mechanism for retaining said at least one shaving aidportion to said at least one shaving aid holder.
 22. The shaving aidelement of claim 21 wherein said interlocking mechanism comprises aninterlock area of said at least one shaving aid portion and an interlockarea of said at least one shaving aid holder.
 23. The shaving aid ofclaim 20 wherein at least one of said one or more protrusions has acurved upper surface.
 24. The cartridge of claim 23 wherein said curvedprotrusion curves towards an upper surface of said shaving aid holder.